Brother?
by Sky Daybreak
Summary: Wiley's out to get Protoman and he doesn't even know why. Based loosely off of the Megaman Series.
1. Why?

Disclaimer: I do own it!! I do! Points to her copy of the Megaman Anniversary Collection See.Shrugs Just not the rights.

Author's Note: This is my first Megaman fic. Please tell me what you think. Thanks, Sky.

"Brother?"

The dark alleyway concealed Protoman's position as he struggled to run. Trash bins helped further hide his position as he ran further in the night. His breaths came in short, unregulated gasps as he struggled to stay mounted upon his feet.

"Oh, Protoman. Where are you?"

I've got to hurry. Proto heard himself subconsciously will his body on. If I don't find some place to hide soon, I'll be caught for sure. Oil obscured his vision as it dripped from beneath his mask. How did I get myself into this mess anyway? What a minute, he scolded himself; this is all Wiley's fault! I didn't even DO anything.

"How dare you?!!"

Protoman jumped up from his bed. "How dare I what?" Wiley was always a little crazy but his smirk had a new glimmer to it that Proto had never seen before. He hesitantly took a small step back.

Dr. Wiley growled in anger and lunged at Protoman. Before he knew it, Wiley had him pinned up to his bedroom wall. "How dare you betray me?"

"But," he stuttered, "I didn't." 'What the hell is going on?' He thought to himself. He could feel the fear mounting in his eyes and, as numerous times before, he was thankful for his visor that helped conceal his emotions. Caught up in his thoughts he didn't see the fist coming until it was too late. Proto couldn't believe it. Sure, Dr. Wiley had been mad at him before but he had never hit him. Protoman's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't that the blow hurt but the realization that he was indeed over his head in trouble.

"Wiley, you crazy ole coot. What was that for?"

Though Protoman did not believe it possible, the anger in Dr. Wiley's eyes seemed to increase. He pulled his creation toward himself and grunted in disgust as he cast him across the slightly furnished room.

The small reploid tried to rise but he felt two arms encircle his own, effectively binding him. "Wow Protoman. You really messed up this time." He heard Cutman's annoying laugh right before his world tilted and darkness enveloped him.

He felt a cool hard surface below him as he started to regain his senses. A small groan managed to escape his constricted throat as he tried to remember where he was. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that he remember what was going on. Great, he groaned, and here I was hoping that it was all some terrible dream. He tried to rise from the lab table only to find that his wrists and ankles were firmly latched down.

"Well, I see you're finally awake." Protoman struggled against his bonds. "What's your problem doc? Let me up from here, now!"

"Now why would I do that? After all you've betrayed me. It's only fitting I should betray your trust as well." Proto blinked in confusion. 'Betray you?' Protoman shook his head. He couldn't think of even one time that he'd ever betrayed Wiley. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything."

"You can't lie your way out of this, you useless bunch of scrap metal. I know what you did and as repayment," Wiley grinned evilly, "I think a little reprogramming is in order."

Protoman's gasped and his eyes rose in fear. _NO_! Ever since the beginning, when he was first activated, Protoman had been cautious when it came to anyone messing with his internal functions. He never let anyone work on him. When there was an upgrade for his system, he installed it himself. Any and all forms of maintenance to his system were performed souly by the robot himself. He didn't even let anyone work on him when he was seriously injured opting instead to suffer through the pain while he repaired the damaged organs HIMSELF. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I'm very _serious_ Protoman. Say goodbye. You and I, or should I say this you and I, will never speak again. You are going to die for what you've done." He turned around to start the controls on the machines. He turned around with his equipment in his hands. His head tilted forward slightly as he spoke, "I hope it was worth it."

The red robot struggled as Wiley approached him with his drill in hand. The bands around his wrists broke and Protoman quickly unlatched the cuffs around his legs and jumped up off of the lab table.

"Stop him." Wiley ran over to his computer and hit the emergency button. Red light blared around the red robot as he ran down the corridor. "You won't escape me traitor!"

Protoman heard Wiley's screams as he turned one of the various corners on his way to the fortress' exit. He heard the taping of several more pairs of metal feet against the marble floor and realized he was being followed. He chanced a quick look behind him and his heart sunk at what he saw. Elecman and Cutsman, two of his friends, were determinedly chasing after him. 'My friends… I guess I don't have friends anymore. I can't think about that now.' Protoman pushed his sorrow to the back of his mind as he searched for the closest way out of the complex.

He rounded the next corner only to run smack into Gutsman. "I got you." "No," Protoman yelled in protest. "Let me go." Protoman's feet scuffled loudly against the hard floor as he fought to remove himself from Gutsman's strong grasp.

"Good job Gutsman. Now hold him still." Cutman threw his scissor weapon at Protoman but he dodged just in time and it hit Guts instead. Protoman sprinted towards the fortress' exit without even glancing back. 'Just a little more.' He encouraged himself. He ran out into the night as he fled the castle. He could just make out the tree line of the forest surrounding the area. He knew that if he could just make it to the trees that he would be safe. The dark shadows cast in the wilderness would conceal his fleeting form from his would be captor's vision.

Unfortunately at that very moment he felt a thunder beam strike his back and sunk to the ground. He turned with his blaster charged and fired at Elecman. Protoman struggled to rise but was overtaken by Gutsman and thrown back to the ground.

"Get off me!"

Gutsman grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Protoman struggled against the grasp and his now limited range of motion. He rapid fired over his head with his buster. Gutsman grunted and then wrenched Protoman's arm further behind his back as he knocked the red and gray robot to his knees.

Proto wasn't sure which came first: The unnatural sound of his joint popping or the tremendous pain emanating from his now dislocated shoulder. His vision blurred and he struggled to stay conscious. He looked up just in time to receive a direct blow to the face from Cutsman. He stilled in his captors arms as his vision began to swim again. "Come on, let's get him back to Dr. Wiley." Cutsman said as he turned and started to lead the others back into the castle.

"Not so fast."

"Great, the blue dweeb."

Mega Man jumped out of the forest's shadows where he was hiding and cast a glance as his brother. "What's going on here?"

"I should have known he'd call his bothersome brother to come and save him."

Protoman shook off the vertigo he was feeling and focused on Dr. Wiley's emerging form. "Wiley, What's going on in that twisted mind of yours?"

"Quiet yourself you insolent traitor!"

'Traitor?' "Wiley, get it through your head. I haven't betrayed you!!"

"I've heard enough." Mega Man took a few more steps forward. "I don't know what's going on here but I came for the crystal alloy. Hand it over!"

"Oh, you mean this." Dr. Wiley reached into his coat pocket and held up a spherical object for his enemy to see. "Sorry but I have plans for this. Gutsman, Elecman, Cutsman. Dispose of them." He cast an evil glance in Protoman's direction. "Both of them." His insane laughter followed him as he traveled deep into his fortress.

Protoman could only gasp in astonishment before he saw the ground rising to meet him. He hit the floor hard and found himself clutching feebly at his injured arm. He could hear energy being charged directly before him and he knew his end was near. The only thought that seemed to register in his mind was one of denial. 'No, not like this.'

He watched as Elecman charged his weapon and waited for the blast. Suddenly another flash of energy streamed by his face and knocked his attacker down.

'I know that attack.' Protoman's eyes rose in disbelief. 'Why would he try to save me?' Protoman struggled to gain his bearings and finally contented himself to watch Mega man pick off the rest of the robot masters.

Protoman watched somewhat amused as Cutsman and Elecman gathered up Gutsman's parts and high tailed it back into the castle. However his happiness was somewhat sort lived and he grunted as he saw Mega Man approaching him.

"Can you stand?"

"Of course I can stand you dimwit!" Protoman managed to make it to his haunches before his vision blurred again and he fell weakly back to the ground. "Okay, maybe not."

He felt a strange trickling feeling beside his eye and automatically reached beneath his visor to rub his face. He withdrew his hand and froze when he saw the golden brown liquid on his fingers. 'Is this Machine oil? How did I get myself that damaged?'

Mega Man followed Protoman's line of vision and gasped. "Come On." Mega Man reached down and picked up his protesting brother. He turned and began to trench back into the forest.

"What do you think your doing?!"

Mega Man sighed. "Would you quit moving around? I'm gonna drop you."

"Just put me down!"

"No! I'm taking you back to doctor light."

"No!" Protoman tiredly continued to fight off the arms carrying him. He was hyperventilating and Mega Man could tell Protoman was using up the last of his strength.

"Please Protoman!! All your doing is wearing yourself out. Save your energy. As soon as we outdistance Dr. Wiley's force fields I'll teleport us outta here and Dr. Light will help repair you."

"I don't want his help."

"Well you can't stay here can you?"

Protoman's struggles fell. He hated to admit it, but his annoying brother was right. He couldn't go back; he could never go back. Proto felt his conscience leaving him and his troubled mind blissfully fell silent. His vision tunneled as all of his strength left him. He took one last glance at his brother and a confused frown graced his face before he passed out.


	2. Decisions

Disclaimer: Points for audience to look around the room. "Come on, if I owned them, don't you think I'd be a bit richer?" Lol.

Author's note: Here's the second chapter. I wrote it a lot faster than the other so I hope there aren't too many mistakes that I missed. Hope you enjoy!

Brother?

Megaman sat Indian style on a spar lab table. He sighed loudly as he used his arms to prop his face up. He was disturbed, angry to be blunt. He stared into his brother's slack face as he tried to comprehend the events of the day. What was going on between his brother and Wiley? He rubbed his tired eyes as he stood to stretch his fatigued limbs.

After Dr. Light had stabilized his brother he had adamantly refused to do anymore repair work until Protoman regained consciousness. Megaman could understand Dr. Light's predicament. After all, Protoman was always the one insisting that no one worked on him unless he allowed it. Two hours had passed since Dr. Light had left the lab. Two whole hours Megaman had been silently waiting for his brother to wake up.

A small smile played over his lips as he peered closer into his brother's face. He had never seen his prototype without his helmet before. It was almost like he was staring into a mirror. A small contented smile lay peacefully across Protoman's face. The picture in front of Megaman seemed so serene. He almost laughed to himself as he realized that his brother looked almost angelic as he slept. If there was one trait Protoman did not possess it was innocence. 'We're so much alike, and yet, so very different.'

He returned to his position on the lab table and turned in a fetal position facing his brother. His thoughts were headed down a familiar road and he sighed as he allowed himself to relax. 'What would our lives be like, if things had been different,' he mused. 'Maybe we would have been friends; who knows, maybe we would have even been like real brothers.'

Protoman groaned as he started to regain consciousness. His head was pounding and he subconsciously reached up to rub the offending area. His hand touched his hair and then froze. 'Where's my helmet? Why the hell did I take it off?' It was very rare for Protoman to remove his facial barrier. Dr. Wiley always said he looked too much like his annoying brother. And to think, Protoman thought to himself, I always keep the darn thing on just to satisfy the doc.

Protoman continued his exploration of his head and found the source of the throbbing pain. He felt a cloth like material wrapped around the spot. His eyes flew open as he began to remember the events of the day. He couldn't help but wonder where the hell he was. He was fairly certain that he had never been in the room before but there was a faint tingle in the back of his mind that told him it was familiar in some way. He stayed reclined on the table he was apparently laying on and scanned the rest of the room. Blue boots caught his line of vision and his eyes stopped as he saw the body of his brother. 'I wonder what he's doing here?'

Wait a minute! He thought to himself. This must be Light's lab. The little twerp took me here after all. Slowly, as not to awaken his replicant, he started to rise from his position on what he could now acknowledge as a lab table. He froze midway and practically collapsed back onto it. He cradled his right shoulder to himself and froze in the fetal position. The red robot watched his brother's blue body for signs of movement and sighed softly when he realized he was still asleep.

He couldn't believe it. Over half of his wounds seem to have been left untreated. It appeared almost as though Dr. Light had intentionally not cared for any of his wounds but the immediate life threatening ones.

'All of this time I thought Dr. Light was just an arrogant self capitalizing jerk.' Then again, he smiled to himself, I can't be sure. He continued to cradle his arm to his chest and rose swiftly swinging his legs over the edge of the table. His vision blurred dizzily a few times and Protoman had to shake off the vertigo he was feeling before he could continue the task at hand.

'I've got to get out of here before they realize I'm awake. Staying is definitely not an option.' He rose from the table and stumbled forward a few steps until he got his footing. It wasn't until he reached out and grasped the table before him that he realized he was staring face to face at his brother's prone form.

It was strange. He hated his brother. Always had yet, underneath his usual malice and jealousy for his brother, he felt something akin to affection.

'Yeah, you little jerk. I'm jealous of you all right.' Protoman thought to himself as he scowled at his younger brother. 'Jealous that I never got the chances you got. Who wouldn't have like to have a gentle creator? One that actually cares about how you feel?'

"What am I talking about?" Protoman scolded himself softly. 'Wiley is my creator not that goody-two shoed Santa look alike. How could I ever have thought I'd like to be like Megaman! We are nothing alike. NOTHING. Yet, Megaman saved my life. Protoman just couldn't figure the guy out. Weren't they supposed to be enemies?

He shrugged to himself and turned to walk towards the door. 'Besides it's not like he likes me or anything. He probably won't even notice I'm gone.' Protoman glanced quickly around the room and spotted his helmet sitting on a table by the door. He grabbed it and put it on as fast as he could, being careful of his wound. He paused one last time to watch his brother and then spun around and sprinted out of the room. Soon he would be outside of Light Labs. He would never look back. This wasn't his life. Dr. Light, Roll, and even Megaman; they weren't his family. He didn't have one.

And here I am, running for the little bit of life I actually have. Protoman sighed to himself as he struggled to remain in the shadows. Once again, he had to wipe the fluid dripping from underneath his bandaged forehead. The pain had begun as a dull ache but steadily increased as he ran from his assailants; the wound on his head had grown from annoyingly bothersome to unconceivable agony. His breathing continued raggedly as he staggered along in the darkness. He fell against a large trash bin and groaned as his head made contact.

He struggled for a few moments as his legs went limp and his vision threatened to blur into darkness. He finally got his bearings and then found himself staring at the atrociously smelling green bin in disgust. "Not to add insult to injury or anything," he spoke sarcastically to himself. He stood and then kicked the trash bin in anger.

"Hey, I heard something over there."

"Shit!" Protoman hissed to himself in anger. That was unbelievably stupid! If I don't find cover now I'm sure to be found. Protoman looked around himself and just as he was about to give up, he caught sight of a small window almost level with the ground. The window had been concealed behind the dumpster that he kicked. Protoman almost laughed as he thanked his 'good' fortune for banging his head and then consequently kicking the thing out of his way. He sunk to the ground and steadied himself as he pried the widow open. He pulled himself inside and then used his good arm to maneuver the trash bin back in place.

Just made it, he thought to himself as he slid down the wall and landed in a pile on the ground.

"Where is he? I thought you said you heard him?" Protoman heard Elecman's voice and held his breathe.

"He had to have been here a minute ago!" Cutsman said in an angry defense. "Come on, Dr. Wiley will dismantle us all if we don't find him."

Protoman let his breath out and relaxed in the refreshing darkness. The air in this room smells so stale, he thought to himself. He could just barely make out scattered objects thrown here and about and then caught site of where the light in the room was filtering in. His eyes followed an old rickety staircase and the stilled at the site of the light coming from the crack underneath the door.

I must have fallen into an old basement, he mused to himself. Oh well, I might as well get comfortable, seeing as I can't go back out there any time soon. His head was still pounding. He pulled his helmet off and stuck it underneath an old table covered with a dusty cloth. He removed the bandage and carefully ran his fingers through his hair as he checked the severity of his wound.

'Ouch.' The darn thing sure is painful. The ache had lessened to a dull throb but it was still amazingly hard to bear. I hope that bang with the green stench of death hasn't further damaged me. With these thoughts in his mind he lay on his side and eventually drifted off to sleep.

AN: Alright, author speaks to herself with her head bowed, so I'm reduced to this. "Okay, I'm on my hands and knees. Please tell me what you think. See that little purple button down there labeled review?? Don't lie to me. I know you do and I know you can hear it calling your name." Lol.

No seriously review.


	3. Developments

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews I've gotten so far. You've guys have really encouraged me to write faster. However, I'm sorry to say that time between posts may be longer because I'll be starting back to College._ Blah! _

Wiley's anger towards Protoman is a major piece of my plot. I can't just come out and tell you guys just yet. It would mess up the whole story. However, I'll consider dropping a few hints every now and then ).

Thanks to my beta-reader Ateyu 452. She catches all my minor errors and big blunders. Lol.

Brother?

Megaman groaned and rubbed his tired eyes. I must have fallen asleep, he realized. He sat up and scanned the room. He expected to awaken to find Protoman unconscious on the lab table next to him. Needless to say, he was more than surprised when he woke up to a completely empty room. Megaman jumped up and scouted his surroundings, hoping to find his injured brother nearby. 'Protoman, where did you go?' He searched every room he came across until he finally reached the main exit to the building.

"Just great!" It figures he'd run off without even a thank you." Megaman would have liked to be angry with his brother, but his worry won out. "Dr. Light!!" Megaman shouted down the hall and ran up the stairs into his father's bedroom. Dr. Light turned over on his bed and sighed at his son's outburst.

"Mega. What's going on?"

"Dr. Light, Protoman's gone!"

"Gone?" The older scientist looked skeptical as he questioned Megaman's assumption.

"I searched the labs; there's no trace of him." Bitterness swelled in side of Megaman as he balled his fists and tightened his jaw. He focused his gaze on the ground before him as he spoke. "He just left. He didn't even say goodbye."

Dr. Light sighed at his creation's obvious distress. He rose and placed a comforting hand on the young robot's shoulder. "Did you really expect him to?"

"That's not the point!" Megaman argued. He swung around angrily and turned his back to the good doctor. "What if he's still hurt? You didn't even get to finish repairing him."

Dr. Light shrugged half-heartedly. "I'm sure your brother's fine. He's always taken care of himself, Mega. You were both built with extremely high tech nana-technology. Each of your bodies possess extraordinary regenerative capabilities. The majority of his wounds will heal completely on their own. I am sure of it." The old man's features hardened slightly as he turned Megaman around to face him. He lifted the boy's chin and smiled sadly as his eyes met his creations. "It was his choice to leave, Mega. Don't blame yourself for something you can't control."

Megaman was frustrated, but he knew Dr. Light was right. "I'm sorry, Dr. Light. I'm being awfully childish, aren't I?"

"It's all right Mega." Dr. Light's kind laughter rang throughout the room. "I'm sure that Protoman had his reasons for leaving. He knows he is welcome here. Perhaps, when he's ready, he'll come back."

--- --- ---

An old wooden door creaked as light flooded into the dusty cellar it had previously concealed. The knots in the pinewood steps groaned underneath the weight of the house's occupant as she stepped down into the room.

"Now then," she said absent-mindedly to herself. "Where'd I put those spare cooking utensils?" Searching through several boxes, she finally found her lost equipment. "Ah, here they are." She scratched her head and wondered how she forgot where she put them in the first place.

Taking a good look around the room she thought, 'I haven't been down here in ages. I really should hire that nice young man upstairs to help me renovate this place. It's such a waste of space to leave it in such a terrible state.' She shook her head and tsk'ed. It embarrassed her to believe that anything she owned, let alone a part of her home, could be so unkempt. She continued to examine the old cellar and was about to leave when her eyes caught sight of a bright red object.

She gasped in surprise. It looked like a boot! She was sure of it. She slowly made her way around the clutter strewn about in the darkened room. She made it to the wall and caught sight of a slender youth passed out beside her antique dining table. "My goodness, child," she whispered aloud. "What are you doing down here all by yourself?" The boy couldn't be older than twelve. She looked up and noticed the cellar window above him. Had he climbed in through the window?

She tried to shake him awake, but he didn't stir. "Oh lad. I hope you aren't hurt." She looked him over the best she could in the darkness. Her hands settled on the side of his head, and she felt something wet in his hair. She drew her hand back and stared at it in horror. 'The poor boy's entire head must be covered with blood.' She thought to herself. 'I have to get him out of this room.' She glanced back down at him as she made her way back to the staircase. 'I just hope that cut isn't too deep.'

_**--- --- ---**_

'I guess I have always been the independent engineering type.' She joked to herself as she maneuvered her young guest into her spare bedroom. She had used an old cot and a stretch of wood to makeshift a gurney. Paired with a few strands of thick fabric, she had been able to securely strap him down and drag him up into the main parts of her house. She heaved with the exhausting task of trying to lift her new visitor onto the bed. 'Either my age is finally getting to me, or you pack a bundle kid.' After several attempts she finally succeeded in getting him settled. She couldn't believe how much he weighed. It was like lifting a few tons of brick from the floor to the mattress in one single bound!

"Now then, let's see if we can get you cleaned up. Shall we?"

--

The older woman shook her head. 'Where did you come from, little one?'

She sighed as she placed a cool damp cloth on his forehead. She was not a doctor, but she could tell that the majority of his wounds were at least moderate, if not severe. At first, she had wanted to call an ambulance. That was until she noticed the color of the fluid weeping slowly from his damaged head. She stared dumbfounded at the discolored cloth on the nightstand. She took it in her hands and examined the fluid on it. 'This isn't blood, is it?' She thought to herself. She hadn't seen that much blood in years but knew that it was always of a dark crimson color. The life fluid that had been covering the boy's hair and forehead had been a dark, almost golden brown color.

Another thing that bothered her was the boy's attire. Most young teens his age wore those loose fitting jeans and opinionated t-shirts. However, this boy had worn a sleek red and gray body suit, accessorized only by a long yellow scarf. Gauging from the size of his legs and forearms, she guessed that it had to be some form of armor. 'Why would a child be wearing battle armor?' Picking up his arm gently, she began to inspect his suit. She found several small buttons on his right arm, and then paused when she saw a larger yellow button closer to the inside of his wrist. 'I wonder.' Curiosity overcame her as she squeezed her eyes closed and then pushed the button.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her now unveiled eyes. The armor had vanished! It had been replaced by a light red jacket, thinly lined with a few gray stripes on the front and on the side of the arms, a dull gray shirt, and a pair of red jogging pants. True to her belief, the suit had been armor. She took his arm and sighed in relief. It seemed normal enough. Unfortunately, the same was not true with his feet. Hoping that they were some modern form of boot, she pulled at them. They wouldn't budge. Upon further inspection, she realized that they were indeed a part of his body. "I don't know who you are kid, or for that matter, where you come from. There is one thing I do know, though. Whatever you are, you're not human."

An: Please don't hit me!! Besides, I can't write when I'm unconscious. He'll wake up in the next chapter. I promise!!! _Shrugs. _Please tell me what you think! Thanks. Bye for now, Sky.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sorry, don't own it.

Brother?

Part 4

Light filtered into the room and cast a serene glow upon the bed's occupant. The door, old and in need of oil, creaked as she entered the room. Small quiet steps brought the older woman up to the foot of the bed and she smiled softly as she watched her young guest. 'I had hoped that he would be awake by now.' Rounding the corner, intent on straightening the sheets, she sighed as she caught a better look at his face. "So young and so very mysterious you are, my boy." She could remember how it felt to be young. Ever once in a great while, she could feel that joyous exuberance dance in her soul, only to be quieted by time, once again.

She stilled and held her breath as she watched him stir from underneath the covers. 'It won't be long now.' 'Still,' she thought to herself, 'I wonder if perhaps you have left me some clues to your identity.' The thought had occurred to her sometime late in the night. After finding the boy, she hadn't stopped to check the cellar any further. Her only focus had been to get him to a safer, warmer place so she could check his injuries. Coming to a decision, she turned and quietly exited the room.

--

"Chirp, Chirp."

Protoman groaned and mumbled bitterly to himself. "I hate birds." He visualized himself plasma blasting one of the little suckers and smiled.

For some odd reason he felt unfamiliarly comfortable. Whatever he was lying on, it was soft. Warmth surrounded him and all he wanted was to stay right where he was for as long as possible. Unfortunately, he had a nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. After all, warmth and security weren't feeling he was accustomed to. He sighed tiredly and turned onto his shoulder. Pain shot up his arm, and he winced as he opened his eyes.

"What the…?" He shouted into the totally unfamiliar room. He couldn't believe it had happened again! "Is it impossible for me to wake up in the same place I fall asleep?" Bewildered he began to inspect his surroundings. He found himself sitting in the middle of a rather large and, for that matter, rather comfortable bed. Thick fluffy blankets covered his body from head to toe.

'It's a wonder I didn't smother to death alone.'

Realizing that someone must have found him, he had to wonder why they would go to so much trouble to make him comfortable. He shifted slightly underneath the heaping mound of covers. Relief flooded his being as he noticed how much better he felt. Unfortunately, that relief was quickly replaced by shock as the bedding fell from his shoulders, and he noticed that his armor had been deactivated.

Confused beyond words, Protoman continued to look himself over. Numerous parts of his anatomy had been delicately wrapped and it was obvious that someone had at least 'tried' to tend to his wounds. 'I don't get this,' his eyebrows knit together with thought. 'If they would have only gotten a good look at me, they'd know I wasn't a human.' He sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Not only had they treated his wounds but also they had retracted his armor. There was no doubt in his mind that his identity was revealed. Anger and frustration soared within him at his former position. He had been entirely at their mercy!

'So why aren't I sitting in a cell somewhere?' Or, at least coming to inside of light labs; starring into the gloating face of baby brother?'

He rubbed his shoulder lightly and then reached up to tend to his injured forehead. His hand touched a spongy fabric. 'Gauze,' his mind answered for him. He continued his search and found that there was a bandage wrapped completely around his head. Scanning the room, he searched for his helmet. He couldn't find it anywhere. "It figures." He remembered dropping it somewhere. "Basement," he snapped. He just hoped that he was still in the same house. He stood cautiously and was relieved to find that his vision didn't blur. Wincing slightly as he stretched his injured shoulder, he turned and presses his armor retract button.

"Could be worse I guess, but not much." He laughed sardonically to himself as he tried to figure out what his next move should be. 'I've got to get out of here. That's for sure. If they don't know who I am yet, it's only a matter of time. Then, I'd like to figure out just what the hell has gotten into Wiley. He sighed as mounting feelings of despair grew within him. He knew he couldn't just waltz right back into Skull Castle without being captured. Besides, even if he could, he was sure that the scientist would have relocated his home base by now. Proto tapped his chin lightly in thought and then shrugged.

'Maybe I'll just hang around a couple of the doc's supply areas and see if I can get a few answers. Wiley has always been known for being able to get his hands on whatever he wants.' Protoman smiled to himself. 'And I guess I did learn from the best.'

There had to be some reason why Wiley was so angry with him, and Protoman was determined to find out.

Eager to begin his search, he walked the short distance to the door. His head felt dizzy and he had to secure himself with an outstretched palm. He stood unmoving against the door for a few moments listening for sounds of movement in the rest of the house. After a few seconds he was satisfied and carefully turned the knob. The silence stilled around him as he slowly opened the door and headed down the hall.

'I've got to be smart about this.' He thought to himself. 'There's no use in being discovered before I know what kind of situation I'm in.' Along his journey he passed several rooms, some of which were bedroom and others hobby rooms. 'I can't believe it! They even have a sowing room!' He smirked to himself as he drew near to the last door in the hallway. It was on the left hand side; and, as he glanced further down the hall, he noticed that the narrow passageway ended and joined with a rather large and seemingly open room. 'I guess that would have to be the main living area.' Slowly he began to open the last door, and was overjoyed when his senses recognized the space. 'Yes! This is it.' He thought to himself in triumphant glee as he walked inside and quietly closed the door.

After searching the basement for several moments, he came up empty. 'Where could it have gone?' Once again he glanced underneath the dining table. Dejectedly he retraced his steps back into the hallway. He closed the basement door and sighed.

"Don't worry yourself. I believe I have what you're looking for right here."

Startled, Protoman had to steady himself to keep from jumping. The tones of the voice lead him to believe that the person was female, but had she known where he'd been all along? Unsure of his surrounding, he cautiously walked into what he had assumed was the living room. He found her sitting in a large chair in one of the far corners. She was concentrating on something placed in her lap. His eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized his property.

"Who are you?"

She laughed lightly. "It's ironic that you should ask. You see, I had been wondering the same about you for quiet some time." She looked back down at the helmet. Of course she knew who he was. What he was. She sighed wistfully as memories from long ago came to mind. 'How could I have not?'

"My name is Melissa Cole." She held his helmet out for him to take.

Protoman couldn't understand her. She obviously knew who he was. Why hadn't she called the authorities? It occurred to him that she might have simply not had the time. However, her intense gaze on his helmet when he first walked in made him think otherwise. Cautiously, he stepped forward. It wouldn't hurt to stay on his guard, even if she was just an old human. He reached out, took the helmet from her, and then stealth fully retreated a few steps.

"You know who I am." It wasn't a question, nothing more than a simple true statement between the two beings.

She nodded and smiled softly. "Don't worry boy. Your secret's safe with me."

He fought the urge to reveal his confusion to the older woman. Quickly pulling his helmet over his face, he was able to hide the expressions threatening to expose themselves. 'Why should I trust her?' He asked himself. Anger, frustration, and utter confusion spun a chain of thoughts in his mind. 'I should just blast her. She already knows too much anyway.' He was still curious though. Why had she tried to help him?

He glanced at her, his actions concealed by the dark veils provided by his mask. She was a normal looking human, except for the fact that her face had more wrinkles than he was use to seeing. His cheek twitched in disgust until he met her eyes. There was something, different about her. He just couldn't shake the feeling that if he did do something to her, he'd end up living to regret it. He sighed at what he believed to be stupid superstition. Trying to clear the thoughts that were constricting his mind, he shook his head. He turned slowly and then started to head for the front door.

'Am I really going to let her get away?' He couldn't believe himself. However, that gnawing feeling in the back of his mind was still there. 'She's just an old woman anyway. It's not like it's the end of the world!'

"Wait!"

For reasons even he didn't understand, he stopped to listen to her. He paused, with his hand on the door, and waited to hear what she was going to say.

"Please, do you need somewhere to stay?"

"Why would you care?" His voice was strong. The menace it revealed surprised even him. He frowned slightly.

She faltered a bit at his tone. Watching as he once again prepared to leave, she quickly made her decision. Nervously she rung her hands together and took a deep cleansing breathe. "If you need someplace to stay," she paused, "I have some spare room." "Of course, you'd have to clean it up a bit." Hoping to encourage him, she smiled softly. "You could have it as an apartment or the like." "Not that I would ask for rent," she added quickly. "You are welcome to use it as long as you need a place to stay."

He looked at her again and saw that same look in her eyes. 'What is this feeling I get when I look into her eyes?' It was almost like a pain that he could sense flowing from deep inside of her. 'What am I saying?' He scolded himself. 'I sound like some sympathetic broke wrist looser.'

"I'm fine." He opened the door and stepped out into the cool winter air.

"Boy, if you should change your mind…" Unfortunately, she never got to finish her statement. By the time Melissa reached the door her former guest was long gone.


End file.
